Gone, Gone, Gone
by animalkid99
Summary: Jem and Will are out on an assignment for Charlotte when Will goes missing, leaving behind nothing but a dagger and dried blood. When it seems that all hope is lost, Jem gets attacked by a shadowy but familiar figure... *title subject to change*
1. Chapter 1

"Will. Will!" Jem glared down at his _parabatai_ and snatched the book from his hands. Will jumped and looked up at him.

"What was that for? You could have just said my name or something."

"That's what I've been doing for the last five minutes," Jem said, dropping the book in Will's lap. "Now get up. Charlotte needs to talk to us."

Will stood up and followed Jem into the study, where Charlotte was sitting at her desk with a single sheet of paper in front of her. When she heard the door shut, she stood up with the paper in her hands.

"There's been a demon sighting near Temple Bar. Two sightings, actually. A drevak and a behemoth. Find them, take care of them, and be back within an hour and forty five minutes. Any longer and you will be in serious trouble." She narrowed her eyes as she spoke and Jem remembered when he and Will had gone to Devil's Tavern for dinner and Charlotte's search party had found them arm wrestling with faeries at two in the morning.

As they left to go to the weapons room, Charlotte shouted, "And be careful!"

"We always are!" Will shouted back, but they all knew it was a lie. Will would never watch his back and had come back injured so many times that Charlotte had felt the need to remind him to do something he never did anyway, even with the reminder.

In the weapons room, Will picked up a dagger marked with runes of precision. "I'll take the drevak. I suppose we'll have to split up and find a place to meet."

"Maybe I wanted the drevak," Jem muttered as he filled his pocket with seraph blades.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing. If we're going to be by Temple Bar, maybe we should just meet outside after an hour."

Will nodded and pulled on a jacket. "And we could go inside and have a drink."

"Or," Jem said, rolling his eyes, "we could meet up and go straight home so Charlotte doesn't get angry with us."

"Boring," Will sighed. "So very boring."

* * *

"And then she threw a book at me!"

Jem rolled his eyes and looked over at Will. "Explain again why Tessa decided to throw a book at you."

"All I did was jump out from behind a shelf!" Will shouted. "There was no reason for her to attack me with Little Women!"

"She's very resourceful, then. More than you are. The last time something jumped out at you, you screamed and ran away."

Will glared at him. "That's because it was a duck, and those are bloodthirsty little beasts that cannot be trusted. You should know that! Anyway, enough about my close call with death. This is Temple Bar here. Let's split up and meet here in an hour."

"Don't be late," Jem said, thinking of all the times Will had gone looking for more demons and forgotten to meet Jem.

Jem tracked the behemoth for about half an hour, then killed it and was back just before the nearby church bells rang four o'clock. Will was nowhere in sight and Jem waited in the cold for fifteen minutes before going inside and buying a drink. If Will had forgotten to meet him again and they both got in trouble, Jem was blaming it on Will.

He spent the next hour and a half talking to the bartender, and then realized how much time had passed when someone came in and he caught a glimpse of the dark sky. He quickly paid for his drink and ran outside. There was no sign of Will and Jem realized with a defeated sigh that he would have to go searching again. Charlotte must have been frantic at that point, seeing as she had asked then to be home almost two hours ago.

Jem checked every alley that he passed, asked at every bar he came across, and asked anyone he saw if they had seen Will. Nobody knew where he was and there was nothing to even hint that he had been anywhere Jem had looked. He was ready to give up, go home, and let Will get punished in the morning.

He went down one last alley and sighed in defeat. Nothing. Then, as he started to turn around and head home, his foot his something hard that skittered across the ground with a high pitched ring. He knelt down and picked up a dagger. It was carved with precision runes and he realized with a jolt that he had seen it before, in Will's hand, just before they left. On the ground next to it were three brown spots that smelled and looked a lot like blood.

Jem pulled his stele out and scrawled a tracking rune on the dagger. It flared brightly and disappeared. The only time a tracking rune would do that was when someone was in a demon realm, or dead. He scrabbled at his shirt in panic, finally managing to get it open, and saw with great relief that the parabatai rune on his chest was still black and whole.

Will was alive, but he was gone. Someone or something had taken him, without leaving any clues as to where he had been taken. It couldn't have been the drevak. They weren't intelligent enough, unless there was another demon there that could have hurt Will and then dragged him away, although there wasn't nearly enough blood.

"I will find you, Will," he whispered. "I will search all of London, even all of England, if I have to."

* * *

Jem threw open the doors of the Institute, shouting Charlotte's name at the top of his lungs. She came running as he was sprinting towards the study to find her.

"What is it?" she asked frantically. "Where's Will? Is he hurt?"

Jem took a moment to catch his breath before speaking. "Will- Will's gone."

Charlotte put her hand to her mouth. "Oh, Jem, I'm so sorry. Was it the demon? I didn't-"

"No, you don't understand. I mean that Will's gone. Someone's taken him and there was no clues as to who or where. All I found was a couple of spots of blood and a dagger I saw him pick up this morning."

"I… Oh. Oh my," Charlotte mumbled. "I'll go call the Silent Brothers. Maybe they can help."


	2. Chapter 2

"Do you think we should help him?" Tessa giggled.

"No," Jem said, looking down the hill at Will, who was standing in front of a pack of ducks and brandishing a knife at them. "He can protect himself from those "bloodthirsty little beasts". He doesn't need our help."

"Bloodthirsty little beasts? I think they're rather cute."

Jem and Tessa kept walking along the path at the top of the hill, until there was a loud shriek from behind them and they turned to see Will running up the hill, screaming "James" at the top of his lungs, and being chased by a couple of angry ducks.

Jem shook his head and smiled. It was a perfect day. The sun was shining, Tessa was there, Will was getting chased by ducks…

And then there was a loud crash and Jem woke up. He wasn't in the park, he was in his room in the Institute, Tessa was in her room, the loud crash had been the thunder outside, and Will…

Well, Will was missing.

The Silent Brothers had tried multiple different runes, including a tracking rune, and none of them had worked. They still didn't know where he was or who had taken him. For all they knew, he could be in another country, even another dimension.

The clock on the wall said it was almost six o'clock. Jem got out of bed and changed into gear, then armed himself in the weapons room and made his way towards the door. He was almost there when a voice stopped him.

"Jem? Where are you going?" Tessa was standing behind him, squinting her eyes against the bright witchlight Jem was holding.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," Jem said. "I'm going to look for Will."

"No, no, I've been awake for hours. I couldn't sleep. I was too worried."

Jem nodded and started to walk away. "Wait," Tessa said. "I'm coming with you. He's my friend too."

* * *

"Have you seen a Shadowhunter around here recently?" Jem asked. "Black hair, blue eyes?"

The purple haired warlock at the bar thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Never seen 'im. Last time there was a Shadowhunter in 'ere was about a month ago."

"Well, have you heard anyone talking about abducting someone? He was taken yesterday and we're trying to find him," Tessa said.

"No, haven't heard anything 'bout abducting. I'll tell if I do, though."

"Thank you," Jem said.

Tessa slipped her hand into his and they left the tavern together. Outside, she leaned against a wall and slid down into a sitting position.

"What if we never find him, Jem?" she whispered. "What if he's… dead?"

Jem knelt down in front of her wiped the tears off of her cheeks. "He isn't dead. I would know," he said, pointing to his chest, where his parabatai rune was. "Besides, he's strong. If someone took him, he's fighting them. He's trying to come home."

* * *

When Tessa and Jem arrived back at the Institute just after lunch, Charlotte was livid.

"Where have you been? I was so worried! I've been looking everywhere for you two!"

"We've been looking everywhere, too," Jem said.

"Oh," Charlotte said, understanding what he meant. "I'm sorry. I should have known. Did you find anything?"

"Nothing. No one's seen him or heard anything to suggest that someone wanted to take him. It's like he just disappeared."

"Don't worry," Charlotte said. "We can ask the Clave to look for him."

A few seconds later, there was a loud bang from the crypt and Charlotte went to go investigate, leaving Jem and Tessa to eat the lunch they had missed. It was cold, but still very good. After lunch, they went into the library and sat in silence for a few minutes before Tessa said, "He must have been injured."

"What?"

"There was blood on the ground," she explained. "Whoever took him must have knocked him out or something, but they hit him hard enough to draw blood."

"You're right," Jem said. "Then he would be unconscious and it would be easier to take him. He wouldn't go without putting up a fight." He turned away from her and started out the window. "Let's hope he's still doing it now."

* * *

Later that night, with his mouth tasting like yin fen, Jem made his way to Will's room and unlocked the door. Inside, he pushed the books and dirty clothes off of the bed and sat down. He drew a tracking rune on a book but it had the same effect as all the other runes did.

Jem had no idea where Will was, but, even though the tracking runes didn't work, he could feel through the _parabatai _bond that Will was still in London. He wished so badly that he knew where his _parabatai_ was.

He left and locked the door behind him. On the way back to his own room, he stopped at a window and looked out over London.

"Where are you, Will?" he whispered.

* * *

Tessa sat on her bed, holding _Vathek _in her hands. She opened the cover and read the poem Will had written there months ago, just before they went to Yorkshire. It said:

_For Tessa Gray, on the occasion of being given a copy of Vathek to read:_

_Caliph Vathek and his dark horde_

_Are bound for Hell, you won't be bored!_

_Your faith in me will be restored —_

_Unless this token you find untoward_

_And my poor gift you have ignored._

—_Will_

By the time she read the last line, there were tears running down her cheeks. She wanted, so much, for Will to be found. She didn't care if he was hurt. She just wanted to know where he was.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry this took so long. I'm going to start setting dates when I'll update and if I don't update by then feel free to pester me about it.**

**I keep forgetting to say that this is set in between CP1 and CP2, and I don't own TID. Also, I need ideas! The next four or five chapters are basically just filler chapters. If you have any ideas for me, please tell me!**

* * *

Everyone at the Institute was looking for Will, but, out of all of them, Jem was looking the most. He would be out all day, leaving before dawn and coming back just after dusk. Charlotte worried that he wasn't sleeping and eating enough, so one day she locked the doors and forced him to stay in bed for the day while he fidgeted and stared out the window. The next day, he was out again.

Tessa would sometimes join him on his searches, either to keep him company or help him look. She wanted to find Will as much as he did. It was hard to walk into the library and not have Will there.

Cecily took it the worst. When she heard that Will was missing, she collapsed in the middle of the study, screaming. Tessa had helped her up and taken her to her room, where she sobbed until midnight when she fell asleep. She didn't come out at all after that. Sophie would serve meals to the rest of the Shadowhunters, then bring Cecily's meal upstairs after many failed attempts to get her to come out.

Two weeks passed with no sign of Will. Even Jessamine was starting to get worried. The Silent Brothers tried multiple different runes, and none of them worked. The Institute seemed deathly silent without Will there.

Every day, it got harder and harder to go out and look. The list of places he could be got shorter every day, and so did the lists of people they could ask and people who could have taken him.

One day, as Jem and Tessa were getting ready to go look for Will, there was a sound in the doorway and they turned to see Cecily standing in the doorway, already wearing her gear. Jem saw Tessa's eyes widen in surprise and felt the same. Cecily hadn't left her room since they told her Will was missing.

"I'm coming with you," she said. "I want to help you look. I want to find my brother."

* * *

Jem, Tessa, and Cecily walked out of the seventh bar that day, after questioning the bartender and getting no answers. Tessa could tell that Cecily was trying to hold in tears. She wrapped her arms around Cecily and waited patiently while Cecily sobbed into her chest.

"I want to find him," Cecily whispered. "I came here to bring him home and now he's gone."

"We'll find him," Tessa said, rubbing Cecily's back. "I promise we'll find him."

* * *

The blade that Jem threw landed right in the center of the target. He turned to see what Will thought of it and found himself alone in the training room. Even after two weeks, his mind wouldn't process that Will was gone. He'd turn around to talk to Will and he wouldn't be there. The library would be empty when he went in. He'd put his hand up to knock on Will's door and then remember.

* * *

That night, Jem had a dream where they found Will dead in a warehouse by the river. He woke up gasping and covered in sweat and immediately went to Tessa's room. She sat next to him on the bed and they talked about Will for hours, until Tessa fell asleep and Jem went back to him room. It was the first night in many years that he cried himself to sleep.

* * *

**Okay, I'll have this updated by next Monday. If I don't, feel free to PM me and pester me about it until I do.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, I know the poem in here was written in the 1920s, but we're going to pretend it was written sometime before the 1880s. I typed this on my phone so sorry for any typos. Spoon? Spoon.**

Exactly three weeks had passed since Will went missing. Tessa knew that because she had counted each day that she was alone in the library, each day that Will's chair sat empty in the dining room. Chocolate tarts sat in the kitchen, unguarded, and none were stolen. Violin music drifted through the hallways, but it wasn't happy and uplifting. It was the kind of music you would hear at a funeral.

On that day, three weeks after Will's disappearance, Jem was alone in the training room, practicing his knife throwing. The worry that came with losing his parabatai had caused him to forget to take the yin fen many times, and he wasn't feeling his best at the moment.

Just as he threw the last knife, he felt a telltale tickle in the back of his throat and instantly regretted not taking the yin fen. Within seconds, he was on his hands and knees on the floor, coughing up blood. As he struggled to breath in between the coughs, his vision turned black and he passed out.

Waking up was difficult. Jem was sore all over and his skin felt as though it was on fire. When he opened his eyes, though, he forgot the pain and felt relief flood through him. Will was sitting on the bed next to him, hunched over a book with his hair hanging in his eyes. As he reached up to push it back, he saw Jem was awake and staring at him.

"You're finally awake," Will said. "I've been waiting for hours. I found a poen and I wanted you to hear it, but you just wouldn't wake up."

"What is it?" Jem rasped. His voice felt like it was coated in sandpaper.

Will looked down at the book again and turned back a few pages, then started to read. "Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there. I did not die."

Just as he finished, the door opened and Tessa came inside. She knelt down next to the bed, ignoring Will and focusing on Jem. "Are you alright? How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," Jem said. Will was still sitting on the bed, looking at him. "Will's here, Tessa. He came home."

Tessa looked around, confused. "Will's not here, Jem."

He started to panic and tried to sit up. Exhaustion and sickness took its toll a d he passed out for the second time that day.

But he realized, as his vision turned black, that there was no indent on the covers where Will had been sitting.

* * *

Jem woke up again later to see someone standing over him. Although his vision was blurry, they clearly had black hair and blue eyes. Thinking it was Will, he was about to reach up and grab his hand when his vision cleared and he saw that it wasn't Will, but Cecily. After he had recovered enough to get out of bed and listened to Charlotte lecture him about taking his yin fen, Tessa asked him about what he had said earlier. He told her that he had hallucinated that Will was there.

He hoped that it wouldn't be a hallucination the next time he saw Will.

**Early! Yay! I'm thinking maybe... Thursday? I've been pretty busy lately. I think you guys will like the next chapter. It should be a bit longer. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Only two more filler chapters until the plot thickens! Who do you guys think took Will? Also, I need more ideas for the next two chapters!**

Tessa watched herself in the mirror as Sophie laced up her dress. When it was done, she turned and faced Sophie.

"Do you think we'll find Will?"

Sophie was visibly surprised by her question but quickly composed herself. "Of course, miss. I can't stand him but I hate seeing Master Jem like this."

Tessa sat down so Sophie could fix her hair. "I knew someone in America whose brother was abducted. She said that when she went to the police, they said that it had already been over forty eight hours and there was a very low chance they would find him alive. They were right. When they found him, he was dead."

Sophie put down the brush she had been holding and out her hand on Tessa's shoulder. "They'll find him. I promise. And he'll be alive."

* * *

"I'm not saying you have to send every Shadowhunter in England!" Jem shouted. "Just a couple to help look!"

Consul Wayland sighed and rubbed his eyes. "How do you know he's missing? Doesn't he disappear for days all the time?"

"Yes, but we know where he is because the tracking runes actually work! And for a few days, not a few weeks!"

"Maybe he's gone back to Wales."

Cecily stood up. "I sent a letter to my parents. They haven't seen him, not since he left."

Behind her, Gabriel rolled his eyes and stood. "If he isn't at the Institute and he isn't in Wales, then he's obviously in a brothel or a drug den."

Jem clenched his fists and turned to face him. "Do you think I haven't checked? I've searched every tavern, every brothel, and every drug den within twenty miles from where he went missing! I have asked hundreds of people if they've seen him, and nobody has!"

The entire council hall was suddenly filled with hushed whispers. Consul Wayland stood up, immediately silencing them. "Believe me, James, I'm worried about him, but we have more important things to worry about at the moment. We must find Mortmain before he kills all Shadowhunters. Finding one person just isn't as important as finding Mortmain. Besides, he's been missing for a month. He's most likely dead by now."

* * *

That night, Tessa, after getting ready for bed, knelt down and did something she hadn't done since she was a little girl. She prayed.

"Please, God, and Raziel, don't let Will die. Let him come home safe, for Jem. Amen."

Then, as she pulled back her blankets, she added, "For me."

**I think I like having a deadline. It forces me to write. Anyway, how does Saturday sound?** **I think you'll like the next chapter, too. Someone else joins the search for Will!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Only one chapter left after this! I'm excited! How about you guys?**

Jem raised his hand and knocked on the door. Tessa, standing beside him, fidgeted with her gloves. They had traveled halfway across London to speak to Magnus Bane in the hope that he could help them find Will.

The door opened and they were ushered inside by an elderly man, who then went upstairs without a word. After a few minutes, Magnus appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Jem, Tessa, how are you? To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, coming down the stairs. He led them into the sitting room and gestured for them to sit down.

"We need help," Jem said. "Will's missing."

Magnus took the cup of tea from the butler that had appeared beside him. "He's probably at a drug den or a brothel. He'll be back soon."

"No, you don't understand," Tessa said, shaking her head. "He's been missing for two months."

"Oh… Well, that certainly complicates things…"

"We were hoping you could help us find him. He's still alive, that much we know. Tracking runes aren't working," Jem said.

Magnus thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "I'll see what I can do. It'll take a few day, and I'll need something that belongs to him."

Jem reached inside his coat and pulled out a dagger engraved with the Herondale family crest, then handed it to Magnus.

"I'll have Clemmons bring a note to you when I finish," Magnus said.

* * *

Three days later, Jem was getting agitated. Magnus had said that it would take a few days, but he was still worried that it wouldn't work. But then, finally, Charlotte came into his room, holding an envelope with his name on it.

"This is for you," she said. "A man named Clemmons brought it."

"Thank you," he said, taking it from her. "Can you ask Tessa to come in here?"

Charlotte nodded and left. Jem sat on his bed, holding the envelope in his hands. His heart was pounding and he silently prayed to Raziel that it would bring good news.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Tessa stepped inside. "Charlotte said you wanted to see me?"

Jem held up the fateful envelope and she ran over, sitting down next to him. He ripped it open and pulled out a folded piece of paper, then took a deep breath and opened it.

_Dear James,_

_I tried every tracking spell I know and even a few that I've never done before. The result was the same every time: nothing. I'm very sorry. Something occurred to me, though. Has Tessa tried Changing into Will?_

_Sincerely, Magnus Bane_

**To be continued, on Monday!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Last filler chapter! Yay! Also, I have a question for you guys at the end of this chapter.**

Tessa stood in her room, holding the Herondale dagger in her hands. Magnus had returned it to them a day after they got the letter from him. She was hoping that it would help find Will if she changed into him, as Magnus had suggested a few days before. She tightened her grip on the dagger and closed her eyes. If it worked, they would know where Will was and if he was alright.

After a few minutes of concentrating, she could feel Will's presence there, but it was like looking through a window. She reached for it, but it seemed to be just inches away from her fingers.

Sighing, she opened her eyes again and dropped the dagger onto her bed. It was the third time she had tried that day, with the same result. Whoever took Will didn't want him to be found.

* * *

After she had put the dagger back in Will's room, she followed the sound of sad violin music to Jem's room and knocked on the door. He opened it a few seconds later and she stepped inside.

"Did you try changing into Will?" Jem asked her.

"I did, three times. Each time was the same. Someone doesn't want him to be found."

Jem nodded and put his violin back in its case. "There must be something we can do to find him. Some spell or rune. He can't have just disappeared."

"We'll find him," Tessa said, taking his hand and gently squeezing it. "I know we will."

* * *

After two weeks of looking, they hadn't found anything to help them find Will. Magnus tried tracking spells, Jem tried runes, and Tessa tried changing into him, but nothing worked. They were beginning to get desperate. In a week, it would be three months since Will went missing, and the Clave was getting annoyed with Jem's constant pleas to help.

Multiple people had insisted that Will was dead, and Jem had gotten angry and showed them how his parabatai rune was still black, not faded as it would be if Will was dead. When Gabriel said that Will had gotten tired of them and had run away to another country, Gideon and Henry had had to pull Jem off of him before he could do more than break Gabriel's nose.

Tessa was shocked to see that sort of behavior from Jem. She had always known him to be calm and peaceful, but when his best friend was missing, he changed drastically and became angry and violent.

Cecily had changed, too. She barely came out of her room and only answered their questions with short, curt answers. Charlotte tried to get her to talk, but she refused to speak more than three words at a time.

Charlotte acted like a mother hen who has lost one of her chicks. She wanted to go out and help look for weeks, but Henry finally convinced her to stay home and run the Institute.

For weeks, everyone worried.

Then Consul Wayland came to visit.

**Okay, question time. I've seen a lot of people do this and I need your opinion. Should I do responses to reviews before every chapter? Also, does anyone else have days where they just can't type and make so many typos? This'll be updated by Wednesday.**


	8. Chapter 8

**GUYS! IT'S PLOT TIME! YAY! Anyway, I'm going to try the review responses and see how it goes. If I don't like it, I'll just respond by PM. Also, I figured out why I have bad typing days. Sometimes I forget to look at the keyboard and it messes me up. Is it just me or does everyone do that?**

**Sapphire131: You'll find out in this chapter! Don't worry! Also, it's awesome that my story is being read in Portugal. I love looking at all the countries where people read my stories.**

**angelcarstairs4679: I'm just trying it out. We'll see how it goes!**

**kirawalker: As lilypotter72 knows, the only ship I can promise at the moment is Jessa. For example, if I said there would be Heronstairs, you would know that Will lives! And I just love to torture you guys. You're all my favorite characters! (lilypotter72 will understand that)**

**lilypotter72: You know why I have cliffies! You're my favorite characters!**

At breakfast, three months after Will went missing, Charlotte cleared her throat and stood.

"Consul Wayland is coming to discuss something today. I'm expecting you all to be on your best behavior," she said, looking pointedly at Jem. Three months ago, she would have been giving Will the same look, but now…

Jem stared down at his plate. Charlotte hadn't said it, but he knew why the Consul was coming.

He was coming to talk about Will.

* * *

"Please, come in," Charlotte said, ushering the Consul into the library. He sat down on one of the couches and took the tea that Sophie offered him.

"I imagine you know why I'm here," he said.

Charlotte joined Jem on the couch across from the Consul, waving away Sophie's offer of tea. She had allowed Jem to come, after convincing the Consul to let him stay. He had agreed, but only because Will was Jem's parabatai.

"It's time to stop looking, Charlotte," Consul Wayland said. "He's been missing or three months. There's so no hope now. There was barely any hope after a week."

Charlotte straightened and nodded slowly. "Yes, I know. But I won't stop looking until we find him, dead or alive."

"I understand. I know that you treat these children as your own, but there's no chance that he's alive. Besides, finding Mortmain is more important than finding Will. He could be in a demon realm, or in another country. Even if you do find him, he will most definitely be dead. There's no longer any reason to look."

Jem couldn't handle it anymore. He stood up, pulled his shirt open, and pointed to the _parabatai_ rune. "He is not dead. I would feel it. He's still alive, and I need to find him."

At that, he turned and ran out of the room. Charlotte recovered from her shock quickly and turned to the Consul. "These last few months haven't been easy for him."

* * *

Jem had left almost immediately, after leaving a note on Tessa's door that said he was going out and not to follow him. He walked through the alleys and back roads, going into taverns and brothels, asking about Will. Some of the bartenders and brothel owners remembered him and told him that they hadn't seen Will before he even said a word.

After two hours, he felt like crying. He was desperate to find Will. He knew that after three months, the chances of finding him alive were gone, but he didn't want to stop. He would keep looking until Will was safe at the Institute, or until he knew Will was dead, although he was hoping it didn't come to that.

Finally, Jem felt ready to go home. He'd calmed down enough that he could restrain himself of Consul Wayland was still there. And it was getting dark. The fastest way home was to go through the alleys, so he turned around and started for the Institute.

Suddenly, halfway through an alley, he was attacked. The person jumped on him from behind, tackling him to the ground. Jem pushed the person off and reached inside his jacket, pulling out a seraph blade that he had thankfully thought to bring.

"Peniel," Jem whispered. The seraph blade lit up and illuminated the dark alley.

The person that had attacked him was crouched a few feet away. His back was turned but Jem knew that hair, that athletic build…

It was Will.

Will turned towards him, smiling. There was something wrong about it, something… evil.

Just before Will knocked him out with the hilt of his sword, Jem saw his eyes.

They were completely black.

**Oh, dear… You're all gonna hate me now… I'm in trouble…**


	9. Chapter 9

**I bet you all just love me right now. Or hate me. Sorry!**

**Jennik55: I love you all, that's why I do this to you!**

**Emmy22: Don't worry, I have everything planned out! You'll find out soon!**

**Lilypotter72: I am cruel, because I love you all! And I really like making cliff hangers that make people crazy.**

**Sapphire131: I turned his eyes black! Also, I LOVE Supernatural. I'm on season six and I'm actually watching it right now!**

**Angelcarstairs4679: Well, it's a good thing I know CPR then!**

Jem woke up with a terrible headache. The sky was pitch black and he was still in the same alley where he was attacked. As he sat up, he remembered what had happened hours before.

Will had attacked him. Will, who was missing for three months. Who everybody thought was dead. He was alive, but there was something wrong with him. His eyes had turned completely black, and he had attacked Jem. Will had never attacked Jem before. Even when they were sparring, he'd hold back so he wouldn't hurt him.

Jem stood and picked up his seraph blade. He had to get home and tell everyone what he had seen before it was too late.

* * *

Jem ran through the front doors of the Institute, immediately making his way to the library. Charlotte and Tessa were sitting on one of the couches and looked up when he came in.

"Where were you?" Charlotte shouted, frantic. "You've been gone for seven hours!"

"I know, I'm sorry." Jem walked over to them and sat down across from them. "I saw Will."

Tessa gasped. "Is he alright? Where is he?"

"He's alive. He's different, though. Whoever took him did something to him. His eyes are completely black. It's like he's been possessed by a demon."

Charlotte stood up and walked over to the desk. "I'll contact the Silent Brothers. I've never heard of a demon possessing a human before, but they might know something."

* * *

They had called the Silent Brothers and asked about the possibility that Will had been possessed by a demon. As Charlotte and the Silent Brothers discussed it, Jem and Tessa sat in Will's room, drawing tracking runes on every book and weapon they could find in the mess. Every rune flared brightly and disappeared.

At one point, Jem looked over at Tessa to see her wiping tears off of her cheeks. "It's alright," he said, rubbing her back gently. "We'll find him, I promise. He's out there somewhere."

There was a knock on the door and Jem got up to open it. Cecily was standing in the hallway, staring at the ground.

"Charlotte wants you in both in the library," she said, then turned and walked away.

"That poor girl," Tessa whispered, coming up to stand behind Jem.

* * *

_Demonic possession is rare, but it is possible. It would be more likely that it is an Eidolon taking the place of William, _Brother Enoch was saying when Jem and Tessa walked in.

"Thank you," Charlotte answered, then turned to them. "Go put your gear on. You too, Tessa."

They both nodded and started to leave. "Wait," Jem said, turning back to her. "Why?"

"We're going to look for Will," Charlotte said. "All of us."

**The next chapter is going to be very exciting! Well, for me. I'm excited, but seeing as it's me, you're probably going to be pretty worried until… tomorrow, maybe? Also, I'm going to start naming my chapters, so any suggestions for them?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Finally, the chapter you've all been waiting for: chapter ten! **

**Sapphire131: I'm glad that you love this! Thank you!**

**Lilypotter72: You'll find out about the demonic possession soon! I think you'll like this chapter!**

**Angelcarstairs4679: This story is 1% plot and 99% feels!**

**Jennik55: Once again, I'm watching Supernatural while I write this! It's not very easy, though.**

After the Silent Brothers had left the Institute, Jem, Tessa, Charlotte, Henry, and Gideon all went out to look for Will. They split up, and Jem and Tessa made their way to where Jem had been attacked by Will.

"We'll go to that alley, then look from there," Jem said. "Stay with me, alright? I don't want you to get hurt."

Tessa nodded and tightened her grip on the dagger she was holding. She barely knew how to use it, but Jem had given it to her just in case.

Just as they got to the alley, Jem stopped and grabbed Tessa's arm. She turned and opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped by his hand. He held on finger to his lips, then pointed to his ear, asking if she had heard something. Tessa suddenly realized that there was a very faint whirring noise all around them.

Before Jem could pull out a seraph blade, a dozen automatons stepped out from the shadows and surrounded them. Three of them were holding onto Charlotte, Henry and Gideon, and another two stepped forward to grab Tessa and Jem.

"Come, Shadowhunters," one of the automatons said in a gravelly voice. "Our master wishes to speak with you."

* * *

Tessa pulled at the door to her cell again and sighed. The automatons had taken all of the weapons and steles and separated everybody into different cells. The doors only had one small window, and she had no idea how much time had passed. She also had no idea where Jem or anybody else was.

Suddenly, there was a weird clicking on the other side of her door and she backed away. It was most likely an automaton, coming to take her to Mortmain or to kill her. The door swung open and she was surprised to see Jem putting something back in his pocket.

"How did you get out?" Tessa asked, running over to him.

"Lock picking wires, sewn into the lining of my jacket. They don't have to be used often, but they're very handy in some situations."

"Did you find the others?"

"Yes, they're down the hall. Make sure you stay behind me. Don't wander off. There's automatons everywhere."

They ran down the hall and met up with Charlotte, Henry, and Gideon, then walked through the maze of hallways, trying to find a way out. As they walked past an open door, Tessa looked inside and saw a table with leather straps on it. She grabbed Jem's arm and pointed it out to him.

The leather straps were placed in the right positions to tie someone down at the ankles and wrists. There were dozens of used syringes scattered on a table pushed up against the wall.

"I don't want to know what these are for," Charlotte said, looking at the syringes. "I just can't imagine what he's been doing to people."

They left the room and continued to find a way out, trying not to go in circles. One room that they found was mostly empty, except for their weapons in a wooden box on a table. They stopped for a few minutes to arm themselves, then continued on their way.

They came to a giant room, filled with thousands of automatons, all deactivated. They were standing in perfect rows, filling the entire room from wall to wall. There was a balcony set high in the wall across from the door.

Charlotte ushered them all inside and looked around. "We should destroy every last one of these."

"How?" Gideon asked. "There's too many. It would take hours, even with all of us. We should look for a way out."

"Oh, I would try getting out if I were you."

The Shadowhunters looked up to see Mortmain standing on the balcony. Behind them, two automatons closed the doors they had just come through.

"Welcome," Mortmain said, "to my headquarters. This is where I created my first automaton, and this is where you will die."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Jem shouted. "We're stronger than we look."

"I'm positive. Thanks to my army, I think you'll be rather outnumbered. Oh, I almost forgot! There's a new addition to my army that you don't see here."

Tessa felt Jem slip his hand into hers and squeeze. She gently squeezed back and looked up at Mortmain.

"He's the first of his kind," Mortmain was saying. "Very strong and brave. Hasn't backed down from a fight yet, and he's been in many, many fights."

"What makes him so special, though?" Charlotte asked.

"Well, one reason would be that he's not an automaton. The most important reason would be that he's a Shadowhunter that's been injected with demon blood multiple times."

Tessa gasped and squeezed Jem's hand. "No, he doesn't mean…"

Will stepped out from behind Mortmain. Jem tightened his grip on his knife until his knuckles turned white. Mortmain had taken Will and injected him with demon blood. Jem had experience with that. He knew that the demon blood reacting with Shadowhunter blood would cause pain. Will had been missing for three months. "Multiple times" could mean hundreds of times. Although the expression of Will's face was completely blank, Jem knew.

Will was in agony.

**Uh, bye. I think I'm gonna go hide from all of you. I'M SORRY I BROKE WILL I'M SO SORRY. I'll be back on Thursday. Maybe you'll have all calmed down by then.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, I have some sad/happy news…**

**I won't be able to update for three weeks.**

**I'll be too busy going to Blackfriars Bridge and Hyde Park in LONDON! I'M GOING TO LONDON!**

**Anyway, on with the story. Please don't kill me, I'm sorry! Sort of.**

**Lilypotter72: I'M SORRY PLEASE DON'T HURT ME**

**Sapphire131: You'll just have to wait to see if he's okay! In like… ten-ish chapters.**

**Kirawalker- I WILL FIX HIM. MAYBE. YOU'LL HATE TO WAIT AND SEE.**

**Tyken- Yup, just like Sebastian! I'm so cruel because you're my favorite characters!**

**Oh! I have a question! Does anybody want to draw fan art for G Cubed? If you do, go right ahead! I want to see what you come up with.**

_That's not an Eidolon, _Jem thought. _That's Will. That's my parabatai._

He wasn't possessed. He was still Will, but somehow, he wasn't Will. Mortmain must have put some sort of spell on him, and Jem needed to break it without hurting Will. It was going to be difficult, but Jem wasn't giving up until it was done.

"And now," Mortmain said, "your demise. Attack."

At that, every automaton in the room suddenly whirred to life and turned to face the Shadowhunters. They all pulled out their weapons in a futile attempt at protecting themselves. They were extremely outnumbered, though, five against one thousand.

Jem looked over at Charlotte, silently telling her that he was going to focus on Will. She nodded and turned away, towards the automatons. Jem quickly pushed Tessa over to Gideon and whispered, "Take care of her. Don't let her get hurt."

The automatons all had weapons instead of hands, and they were raised, ready to attack. The Shadowhunters, minus Jem, started slashing and hacking at the metal monsters while Jem looked for a way up to the balcony. If he could get up there, he could kill Mortmain and save Will. Get his friend back and stop this war.

Looking around the room, Jem realized that the only way in or out was the door they had come through, which was guarded by two automatons. The door to the balcony was somewhere outside the room. The walls were smooth and impossible to climb. He would have to somehow get Will down to where he was.

Before he was able to do anything, there was a loud thump and Jem looked up to see Will standing in front of him. He was smiling maliciously and there was nothing to show that he knew who Jem was. Jem wanted to do everything he possibly could to fix his friend and bring him home. Living for three months without him had been nearly impossible. Never seeing Will again would kill him.

"Will," Jem said carefully. Saying the wrong thing could get him killed. "Will, I'm your friend. I'm Jem. Don't you remember me?"

Will narrowed his eyes at him and stepped forward. Jem put his hands out in front of him.

"I know you're in there, Will. This isn't you. Mortmain put a spell on you. We have to break it, together. Just listen to me."

Something changed in Will's expression. There was a tiny spark of recognition there, but not enough. His eyes were still solid black.

"Please, Will. You have to listen to me. I'm your friend. Mortmain-" Jem was cut off by a clatter and looked down to see that Will had dropped the sword he was holding.

Will was staring down at his hands, and when he looked up, his eyes were blue again. Jem smiled for the first time in months, knowing that his friend was alright.

Then he saw the expression on Will's face. It was one of confusion and pain. No, not pain, agony.

"Jem," Will whispered. "Jem, it _hurts_."

**So, uh… See you all in three weeks! I'll have my phone so I'll be able to answer PMs and reviews but I won't be able to write.**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'M SO SORRY PLEASE DON'T HURT ME**

**Yeah, I've been home for a while now but I never found the time (or the motivation) to write this chapter…**

**So I'll give you all a treat! At the end of this chapter, there will be a question for you guys to answer. If you get it right, I'll write you whatever TID story you want! It could take a while, though. I'm starting to get pretty busy.**

**Lilypotter72: Um… after this chapter, you might want to kill me again. Sorry!**

**Sara Snow: London is beautiful! Blackfriars Bridge… I seriously almost died. I was squeezing my mom's hand the entire time we were on it.**

**Living In Fandoms: I know! Poor little things… The bad thing is, I don't even feel guilty for all this stuff I've done to them!**

**Guest: Thanks! And I did have fun! It was amazing!**

**Lorelei Jacques: It's not bad! He's not like that anymore, I fixed him! Sort of… Jem and Will would make a beautiful couple! Heronstairs is and always will be my OTP.**

**tyken: You'll find out in this chapter!**

**Jane Volturi: These Volturi don't sound very nice…**

**And it is now the next day and I am sitting here trying to figure out how to start this. Um… WHY IS THIS SO DIFFICULT? I'm very sorry if this chapter is terrible, cause it most likely will be.**

"Give me your arm." Jem held his hand out to his _parabatai_, who was sitting against the wall in the corner furthest away from the automatons.

Will held his arm out and Jem pulled his sleeve up, then started to draw an iratze on his forearm. Before he could finish, though, Will pulled his arm back and pressed it to his chest while squeezing Tessa's hand enough to make her fingers numb. Jem pulled his arm away and stared in shock.

The iratze he had drawn had turned into an angry red burn.

Will was breathing hard through his teeth had the hand that wasn't holding Tessa's clenched in a fist so tight that his knuckles turned white. Tessa reached up and squeezed his shoulder, trying to provide some comfort through the pain. She and Jem both knew that Will had most likely been in constant pain for the last three months. Demon blood reacted badly with Shadowhunter blood and caused terrible, unbearable pain. Jem completely understood what Will was going through.

Mortmain had disappeared from the balcony just after Jem broke the spell on Will. There was nobody to protect him from the Shadowhunters, and they wouldn't be able to find him in the maze of hallways.

Once all of the automatons were lying dead on the floor, the other Shadowhunters rushed over and, after Jem showed Charlotte the burn the iratze had left behind, began to make a plan of how to get out.

After a few minutes, they realized that none of them knew.

Except for Will.

He remembered everything from when Mortmain had been controlling him, and since he was in too much pain to walk, he led them all out from Henry's back. They reached the Institute an hour later and called the Silent Brothers, who locked themselves in Will's room for three hours. Jem and Tessa waited out in the hall while they worked.

"What if her ends up like me?"

Tessa looked over at Jem and shook her head. "He won't, Jem. Don't worry."

Jem nodded, but his heart was pounding. He didn't want Will to be addicted to something like yin fen. Will was supposed to die when he was old, not before 18 as Gabriel always said.

* * *

Jem stared down at his hands, then looked up at his sleeping _parabatai._ He could see the burns covering Will's arms from the countless runes the Silent Brothers had tried. He tried again to read the book in his lap, but couldn't concentrate. He felt that if he took his eyes off Will for one second, he would be dead when Jem looked again.

_He is not addicted to the demon blood, _Brother Enoch had told them. _He is dying, though, and he will be dead within a month if a cure is not found._

The book he was trying to read was all about demon blood and the effects it had on Shadowhunters. The kind of demon blood that Mortmain had injected Will with didn't kill right away, but slowly and painfully burned away all the Shadowhunter blood until the person was dead. Will had told them that Mortmain injected him with demon blood every day for a month, sometimes even two or three times a day. He had been gone for three months, and they had considerably less time to find a cure.

Jem was glad that Will was home, but he had been hoping to find him completely unharmed. Now, Will was dying, and of the three books Jem had read, there was no cure.

He needed to find one.

**I'M SO SORRY I'M GONNA ASK YOU GUYS A QUESTION AND THEN I'M GONNA GO HIDE IN SHAME**

**What was the table mentioned in chapter 10 (Tessa looked inside and saw a table with leather straps on it… The leather straps were placed in the right positions to tie someone down at the ankles and wrists. There were dozens of used syringes scattered on a table pushed up against the wall.) most likely used for?**

**Making people into unicorns named Fluffy McRainbowpants**

**Injecting Will with demon blood**

**Making automatons**

**Good luck!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I'M SORRY OMG IT'S BEEN 145 DAYS PLEASE DON'T KILL ME BECAUSE I HAD SCHOOL AND THEN MY COUSINS CAME AND ARGH I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON**

**PSA to all Supernatural fans: I need help getting a title for one of my stories! If you want to help me out, pm me and I'll tell you what the story's about!**

**I NEED IDEAS! Pretty please! Even if you think they're the stupidest ideas ever, tell me! Anything works!**

**I'm so sorry, this chapter is going to be the worst and shortest chapter ever… probably because its two in the morning…**

**Okay, rant over. I promise, this won't ever happen again. (Of course, since it's me, it probably will.)**

**Guest: I will now! I'm so sorry…**

**Gwen: I can't wait for you to see what happens!**

**Guest: You're right!**

**Living In Fandoms: Totally okay! =D**

**Sara Snow: I wish it was unicorns… but sadly it's not. I'm updating finally!**

**Lilypotter72: I'm so dead…**

**Angelcarstairs4679: Pecans? Walnuts? =D**

"Jem broke Gabriel's nose?" Will asked in disbelief. "James Carstairs, who wouldn't hurt a fly even if his life depended on it, broke Gabriel Lightworms's nose, and you expect me to believe that?"

Tessa giggled into her tea. "There was blood everywhere. It was swollen for two weeks and he would cover it up anytime someone looked at him. He was livid."

"Oh, I wish I could have seen that. At least the blood covered up those horrible features. You should have seen his face when I broke his arm."

Jem knocked on the door and poked his head in. "When you broke his arm, you weren't allowed to leave this room for a week. I don't know why you sound so proud of yourself."

"He deserved it," Will muttered. "After all, he is a Lightworm."

Jem sighed. "Charlotte wants to know if you want lunch."

"I'm alright," Will said, shaking his head. "I'm not hungry."

Tessa frowned but didn't say anything. Will hadn't been eating much since they found him three days ago. Tessa suspected that it was because of the constant pain Jem said he was in, but Will never mentioned it.

"Are you sure?" Jem asked. "Bridget made chocolate tarts."

"Absolutely sure."

Jem nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. Tessa looked down at Will and noticed a new rune-shaped burn on his arm. Every rune that was applied to his skin, no matter what it did, burned him. The angelic essence of the runes reacted badly with the demon blood that Mortmain had injected into him and caused the burns. Without the runes, Will was in constant pain, and there was nothing they could do to help him.

There was a timid knock and both Tessa and Will looked up to see Cecily poke her head around the door. "Oh, Tessa," she said, "I didn't think you were in here. I wanted to talk to Will but I can come back."

"No, that's alright," Tessa said, getting up from her chair and gesturing for Cecily to sit down. "I was just going to leave anyway."

Tessa caught a glimpse of Will's face just before she left the room. He was looking at her like she had betrayed him and left him alone with an escaped convict, but she wanted to give Cecily time alone with him. The poor girl had come to London to bring her brother back home, and then he went missing for three months. Cecily deserved to spend every waking hour with him.

Especially if they didn't find a cure.

* * *

Later that day, Jem and Tessa were quietly sipping tea in the library while combing through every book that even slightly mentioned demon blood. They'd both done more reading in the past three days than they had in the past three months and they hadn't found anything but countless reports of Shadowhunters dying from demon blood and something about demon reproduction.

"Jem," Tessa asked suddenly. "I have a question. You don't have to answer, but I was just curious."

Jem looked up from the book in his lap and nodded. "What is it?"

"What happens to Will if we don't find a cure?"

"Well, from my experience, the demon blood reacting with his Shadowhunter blood causes constant pain all over his body. It's almost nauseating sometimes and eating just makes it worse, so he'll start eating less as time goes by. He'll also sleep more, he'll get weaker, he won't be very coherent when he's awake, and, one day, the demon blood will burn away the last of the angel blood and he'll die."

"That sounds terrible," Tessa said. "It isn't going to happen, though. We're going to find a cure. I promise. We'll find one soon."

**Okay so that was really short but it's 2:40 in the morning here and I'm tired so… see/hide from you guys tomorrow! Seriously, people, nag me! Yell at me! Make me write!**


	14. Chapter 14

**To make up for the five months I took to write the last chapter, I'm giving you guys a special treat for this one. I think you'll like it!**

**Mezzogal: Oh, but I can… =D I will!**

**Guest: OMG ME TOO**

**Living In Fandoms: I do… I really do…**

**Sara Snow: I promise it will never happen again. Pinky promise!**

**I'm slightly recovered from a terrible, debilitating illness that made me feel like I was dying. Yeah, I hate colds. Although I think this one might have been a sinus infection. And then someone said that I'm sick because I gave up sugar for Lent and that I'm going to kill myself by not eating sugar for the next forty days? Uh, yeah, about that…**

**BY THE WAY, SOMETHING IS MAKING ME INSANE. I read this story a while ago where Will and someone who I think was an OC were eating food at a Chinese place, I think. A werewolf poisoned Will and the OC went after it and got the antidote. I can't remember what it's called and I can't find it on google so if you know it please help me! You know how I just love it when Will gets hurt =D**

**If there's anything you want to see at all in this story, pretty please tell me! I'll do what I can!**

**This chapter is going to be so extremely tiny…**

Gabriel Lightwood was happy. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there were no pesky Herondales around to annoy him. Just to spite his father, who had sent a servant to wake him up, Gabriel stayed in bed for another half hour.

When he finally got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast, Benedict was already at the dining room table. "Where were you? I've been waiting down here for almost an hour."

"I'm sorry," Gabriel said, not sorry at all. "I'm just enjoying my time while Herondale is still missing. It's nice to not have him around. He can be very provoking."

He sat down at the table and leaned back so the maid could put his plate down. It was the same as always: two sausages, two slices of buttered toast, and a deviled egg. The food in the Lightwood household had been lacking lately. They'd have to hire new kitchen staff soon or they'd be eating like peasants by the end of the month.

After breakfast, Gabriel went outside and walked through the gardens, enjoying the fresh air. He was glad that he was rid of those pesky Shadowhunters at the Institute. Jem had attacked him after he said Will had gotten tired of them and had run away. It was probably true, anyway. He was most likely enjoying himself in a pub somewhere far away from London, surrounded by alcohol and women.

A footstep in the gravel behind Gabriel surprised him and he turned to see one of the maids holding a white envelope. "I was supposed to deliver this to your father, but he's locked himself in the study again. The man who delivered it said it was urgent."

"I'll take it," Gabriel said.

She handed it to him, bowed slightly, then scurried back inside. Gabriel ripped open the top of the envelope and pulled out the letter.

And, just like that, his day was ruined.

* * *

"Tell me again, Gabriel," Benedict said, hours later. "What exactly does the letter say?"

"They found Will, but Mortmain had injected him with demon blood. He isn't addicted to it, but he's going to die in a month if they don't find a cure. They want us to help look."

"Why us? He isn't our responsibility, we don't need to help. I say they just let him die. He's in pain anyway, they should just put him out of his misery."

"Maybe we should at least try to look. If we don't find anything, then fine, let him die, but we should try."

Benedict waved his hand dismissively and turned towards the bookshelf behind the desk. "Look if you want. I could care less. Now, I have a lot of work to do, so run along now."

Gabriel scowled at his father but left the study. He wasn't a child anymore, he didn't need to be told to "run along".

Gabriel went into the library and found a book on demons. Sitting down in a chair near the window, he opened it and began to read.

He'd look. He wouldn't like it, but he'd look.

**Sometimes I look at the pages open on my iPad and I think "If someone saw this, they'd think I have bone loss and kidney problems and probably cancer." Is it bad that I know what hypocalcaemia and osteoporosis and pneumothorax and pleural effusion and intracranial pressure all mean? And I don't want to be a doctor! It's all for my stories!**


	15. Chapter 15

**I have news (#WhenYouAccidentallyWriteKnews)! I came up with an awesome cover for this story! I was tired of that stupid guy that little eighth grade me thought was cool, so I'm making my own cover! I'll change it right after this chapter is uploaded.**

**I made a playlist for G Cubed. If you want to listen to it, the link is on my profile. Also, if you know of any songs that would go with this story, tell me! I'll listen to them and then add them to the list!**

**Sometimes I read the stuff I wrote when I first started writing and… It's nauseating. For example, I wrote this Star Wars fanfiction in either seventh or eighth grade and… it's just… if anyone wants to read it, I will gladly send it to you, but I'm warning you, it's physically painful. I kid you not. What was I even thinking?**

**Living in Fandoms: Maybe he feels kinda bad… I don't even know why I made him do that… I think Gabriel broke into my house and wrote that scene.**

**Sara Snow: I do a lot of research! My dad once opened my laptop and saw a page on aftershave poisoning. I think I scared him a little bit. I'll be sure to tell you if I ever track down that elusive little story! And, about the prank, I'm just too awesome, aren't I?**

**So… now that that's over… I have a very, very, VERY, special treat in store for you today. Even more special than the last chapter! I think you'll like it ;)**

Will scowled and wiped the blade of his dagger on his pants. The drevak had exploded when he killed it and its blood and guts were everywhere. He wanted to go get a drink, but Jem had shot his plan down and insisted that they weren't late getting home this time. They both still remembered the search party Charlotte had sent out last time.

Just as he turned around to go meet Jem, something slammed into the back of his head, and that was it.

* * *

Will woke up strapped to a table. He obviously wasn't in the Institute, unless he'd gone insane and Charlotte decided that it was in his best interest to be completely immobilized, and demons were too stupid to do buckles. That meant that there was only two other beings who could have knocked him out and tied him to a table: a murderous mundane, or Mortmain.

Looking around the dimly lit room, he noticed a single door set in the stone walls. The wood looked flimsy, so whoever had captured him probably wasn't planning on him escaping, and he fully intended to take advantage of that. There was a table against the wall, but the surface was clear. So, no torture. Probably just some interrogation, and then his captor would let him go.

But now, it was time to focus on escaping. Will raised his head up as much as possible and noticed that he was only strapped down at his ankles and wrists. Other than that, he was free.

Then he tried pulling his hand out of the strap.

Nothing. He could barely even twist his wrist. The strap had been buckled as tight as possible. This person, whoever they were, was smart.

Suddenly, the door opened and Mortmain walked in. So he was the reason that Will was currently strapped to a table.

"Ah, I see you've finally woken up. I was starting to worry. I thought my automaton had hit you just a tad too hard," Mortmain said, smiling. "Now, shall we get started?"

"They'll find me," Will growled. "They can track me. They aren't stupid, you know."

Mortmain laughed and nodded. "I know they aren't stupid. That's why I hired a warlock. They can't track you, nobody can. I made sure of that. I assure you, they aren't going to find you. We're a hundred feet below London, and they'll never find the entrance. Now," he said, clapping his hands, "on to the next order of business. I have a few questions."

"I won't answer them. Trust me."

"Oh, I rather think you will." Mortmain reached inside his jacket and pulled out a syringe, filled with a thick black liquid.

"Is that…" Will started. He didn't want to finish his sentence, holding on to some hope that it wasn't what he thought it might be.

"Yes, you're right. Good job. It's demon blood, and I've heard that it causes quite a bit of pain to Shadowhunters. Shall we try it out?"

Will narrowed his eyes. "No, of course not. What we will try out is you letting me go and me turning you in to the Clave. How does that sound?"

"My, my," Mortmain said, shaking his head in disapproval. "So uncooperative. Answer my questions, and I'll think about it, but remember, if you don't answer, I'm afraid I'll have to resort to other, more persuasive tactics. Now, for the first question: what does the Clave know about me?"

Will said nothing. He wasn't going to tell a madman what people knew about him, no matter what said madman did.

"Very brave. I like it. You'd make a great addition to my army. Well, if you won't answer that question, how about this: what are they planning against me?"

Nothing.

"Well then, I gave you your chance to cooperate on your own. I guess I'll have to try something else to get what I need."

Mortmain reached down and pulled Will's sleeve up, smiling when Will tried to get away from him. The restraints were too tight to allow enough movement for that.

"Have fun," Mortmain said, and with that, he jabbed the needle into Will's arm and pushed down the plunger.

At first, nothing happened, but then Will felt pain so severe that it felt like someone had dropped him into a vat of acid and it was eating away at his skin. It was all over his body, relentless and causing him to grit his teeth and shake with pain. He felt like he was dying. Maybe he was, he didn't know. Was this how Jem had felt when Yanluo injected him with demon blood? Did he think he was dying?

Suddenly, Will realized that he was thinking about Tessa. He hoped that she was happy, wherever she was. He wanted both her and Jem to be happy, even if he wasn't there. He wanted Cecily to go back home and be a normal girl. He didn't want her to become a Shadowhunter, but she had insisted that he train her, so he didn't have much of a choice. She was going to be devastated. He almost wished that he had done what she wanted and gone back home with her.

Will realized then that Mortmain was leaning over him and talking. "You see, it isn't enjoyable at all. I do believe that this is the first time I've seen a Shadowhunter shed tears, but you are somewhat human, so it is to be expected. All I want are two simple answers to two simple questions. Are you ready to give me what I want?"

Will smiled through the pain and tears, almost laughing. "You're insane," he rasped, and he realized that he had been screaming. "Completely and utterly insane if you think I'm going to tell you anything."

Mortmain scowled and straightened up, stomping to the door and throwing it open. He whistled loudly, then turned back to Will and said, "I'll get answers out of you. I swear on my father's life I will make you talk."

Two automatons entered the room and stood by the door. Mortmain nodded at them and they started to undo the straps tying Will down, and the second the first one was undone, he fought them. With everything he had, he tried to get away, tried to get to Mortmain. It was either the fact that he had just been strapped to a table for Angel knows how long, or the lingering pain that hadn't faded much since the injection, but the automatons overpowered him and dragged him out of the room and down a musty, dark hallway.

Near the end of the hall, they threw him into a cell and locked the door before he could escape. Mortmain, who had been behind them the entire time, opened a small window in the door and smiled. "I hope the accommodations are to your liking. You'll get food and water, and of course a little something extra to, shall we say, loosen your tongue, if you understand what I mean. Enjoy your stay!" He slammed the window closed, leaving Will in almost total darkness, the only light coming from the thin space between the door and the ground.

There was a thin blanket in the corner, damp and riddled with holes. After feeling something squelch under his foot, he decided that on top of the blanket was the safest place to be, so he sat down in the corner, leaning against the wall.

It took what seemed like hours to fall asleep, mostly because of the pain he was still in, but finally, he fell asleep and dreamed of Wales.

* * *

When the door of his cell opened the next morning, Will was ready. The pain had dulled to a slight ache, and he knew what was coming. This time, he was going to get away. So, when Mortmain opened the door, Will ran.

He got about halfway to the staircase at the end of the hall before an automaton grabbed his arms, bringing him to a screeching halt. Behind him, Mortmain was laughing. Will tried pulling away from the automaton, but it was too strong and he was trapped. It dragged him away from the stairs, away from escape, until he was standing in front of Mortmain, who smiled evilly and grabbed his chin, forcing Will to look at him.

"You're very determined. I think you deserve a special treat for that, don't you?" Will shook his head as well as he could with Mortmain's fingers digging into his jaw. "Well, I do. Shall we get on with it?"

The automaton nodded and started to drag Will towards the room with the table. Will dug his feet into the ground as well as he could, but it was useless. Within seconds, the automaton was holding him on the table while Mortmain buckled the straps as tight as possible.

"Now," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a syringe. "We'll try again. What do the Shadowhunters know about me, and what are they planning?"

"You should know by now," Will said. "I'll never tell you anything. I'd rather die."

"I'm sure that can be arranged," Mortmain said, stepping closer with the syringe ready in his hand.

"Wait! I'll tell you," Will said, hoping that Mortmain would stop. "I'll tell you everything."

Mortmain clapped his hands together almost gleefully. "Good choice. Very good choice. Now, tell me. What do they know?"

"I can't tell you out loud. Come here."

Mortmain leaned close so that he could hear Will. "Talk, I'm listening."

Will smiled. "Go to Hell."

Mortmain straightened up, a look of pure fury in his face. "Not if you go first." Glaring intensely at Will, he stuck the needle in, roughly around the same spot as the day before, and slowly pushed down on the plunger.

Will tried to hold in his scream, but he failed and gave in to the blinding, nauseating pain of the demon blood coursing through his veins. If Mortmain did this enough, Will would die, and Mortmain wouldn't get what he wanted, but then there was always the possibility that he would go after Jem next, then Cecily, and maybe even Tessa.

The possibilities were endless, but Will only knew one thing. He couldn't die.

"You know, this will all be over if you just tell me. No more pain, no more suffering. I'll let you go home. Carefully watched, of course, but home. Now, are you ready to answer?"

"Nothing you do will ever make me even think about answering you. No amount of demon blood, no threats. I'm not insane."

"I think you're wrong," Mortmain said. "I'll make you talk, I swear. Just you wait." He pulled another syringe out of his pocket and held it up. "I don't have to use this, you know. Just talk and I'll stop."

Will just smiled.

Mortmain frowned and stuck the needle in Will's arm. After pushing the plunger down, he laughed. "I'll have you know, Mr. Herondale, that I always get what I want."

* * *

Will stayed where the automatons dropped him for a few minutes before sitting up. There was a plate of food in the corner, but even looking at it made him nauseous. The double dose of demon blood had caused twice the amount of pain as the day before, and he could still feel it burning in his veins. Even the thought of food was nauseating. What was the point of food if he couldn't even eat it?

If the demon blood didn't kill him, he'd die of starvation. Mortmain would probably dump his body in front of the Institute and run away, leaving his sister or his best friend or the girl he loved to find him. Or worse, Mortmain would bury him somewhere or burn his body and they'd never know what happened to him. He just wanted to see them one last time before he died.

Will noticed a glass of water sitting next to the plate. Starving to death was a large possibility, but he refused to die of dehydration. He reached over and picked the glass up, narrowing his eyes at the brownish tint. _Bottoms up,_ he thought, downing half the glass in one swallow. The oily texture and bitter taste almost made him spit it out again. Well, at least it would keep him alive.

Will crawled over to the corner of the room where the ratty blanket was. It was his only source of warmth, since the room felt like it was below freezing. It didn't do much, but at least it was something. He wasn't going to freeze to death any time soon. Wrapping the blanket around himself, Will settled in for a long night of pain and restlessness.

* * *

Mortmain wasn't there when the door opened the next morning. It was just two automatons, and Will was too exhausted from his three hours of sleep to fight them. They pulled him, with no resistance, to the room and strapped him to the table, then left. Will was alone for a few minutes, until the door opened and Mortmain walked him, carrying a wooden box.

"I've got a present for you. I went through a lot of trouble to get this, so you'd better enjoy it," Mortmain said, putting the box on the table. He opened it, revealing a black velvet lining and rows upon rows of filled syringes. "Eighty, in all. Do you know what that means?"

"It means that you're desperate," Will said. "You'll do anything you can to get what you want."

"You're wrong," Mortmain hissed. "It means that I know what I want and I don't care who gets hurt. I can kill you at any time, you know. There's other, more loose-lipped Shadowhunters out there."

Mortmain was right. Tessa would do anything if Mortmain offered a cure for Jem. Cecily and Charlotte would talk if Mortmain told them what happened to Will. Jem… Jem wouldn't talk. No amount of yin fen or information on Will would make him betray the Clave. He'd rather die before saying anything.

Mortmain reached over and took a syringe out of the box. "Now, let's talk. This will all stop if you just answer two simple questions. It isn't very hard. You want to go home, don't you?"

"Of course. And then I'll come back with every Shadowhunter in London to kill you."

"No, you won't." Mortmain smiled. "There will be automatons watching you at all hours of the day. If you even say my name, they will attack your precious institute and kill everyone inside. It will be a massacre, and I will have won. Do you really want that?"

No, of course he didn't want that. He wanted to go home, but if he couldn't tell them about Mortmain, there was no point. He couldn't go home.

"No answer? Well then, I'll take that as a no." He examined the syringe in his hand, then looked down at Will. "Are you ready to answer my questions?"

Will shook his head. "You never learn, do you? It's been three days already. If I haven't answered by now, I'm not going to."

"Oh, I think you will. You know, I read about the effects of this particular type of demon blood on Shadowhunters. The pain gets worse and worse, until you can't eat, can't sleep, can't even get out of bed. It burns away all of your Shadowhunter blood, and you die. Unless I stop now. You still have time, so if you just answer my questions, you won't have to go through that. Now, what does the Clave know, and what are they planning? Answer, or I will have to use this," he said, holding the syringe up.

"Do it," Will said.

And he did. Mortmain injected the contents of the syringe into Will's arm and watched as the tears rolled down his face. His wrists and ankles were being rubbed raw from the straps, his head as pounding, and, for a second, he wished with everything he had that he could just die right there. Without waiting for the pain to subside, Mortmain looked up at an automaton in the corner and said, "Get him out of here."

The automaton unbuckled the straps and pulled Will off the table. He could barely comprehend what was going on, but he managed to stay upright as the automaton pulled him down the hall. All he could think about was the debilitating pain he was in. Nothing he had ever felt before could compare to it.

They stopped at the door to his cell and the automaton pushed him inside, locking the door behind him. He didn't even have to look at the food this time; he crawled over to the corner of the room and threw up on the floor. Will stayed in that same spot until the nausea had subsided enough, then moved away and collapsed on the floor. He'd never tell anyone, but he suddenly found himself thinking of his mother. All three of them had gotten sick once and their parents had run around the house, bringing blankets and soup and buckets the entire day. Will had been the most sick, and once Ella and Cecily were asleep, his mother had climbed into his bed, wrapped her arms around him, and sang lullabies in Welsh until he fell asleep. Now, he'd never see her again.

Shakily, Will reached out and pulled the blanket towards himself. It didn't offer any protection from the cold floor he was laying on, but it did offer some form of comfort, so he pulled it over himself and curled up. He could at least try to sleep.

* * *

Two weeks. Will barely ate anymore. He slept for one hour at night, sometimes even less. Mortmain was injecting him with demon blood every day, and he was always in some form of pain. There were times when the pain dulled to an ache, and other times when it was even worse than when the Silent Brothers pulled shards of metal out of his back.

Today, Mortmain was late. Will had realized that Mortmain had a schedule and came at the same time every day, but today was different. So, he waited, curled up in the corner farthest from the door and taking small bites from a stale piece of bread while trying to keep from throwing up.

When Mortmain finally came, he was angry. Livid, even. He glared at Will from the doorway while Will made no effort to stand up. It was a good day and he was feeling very rebellious.

"Get up, now," Mortmain sneered. "I don't have time for any of your shenanigans today."

"I'm alright," Will said, staring at the bread in his hand. "I think I'll just stay here. Go on without me."

Mortmain moved away from the door, and two automatons entered the room a second later. Knowing he was defeated, Will dropped the bread and stood, letting them grab his arms and pull him out the door. Once they were in the hallway, in one last act of retaliation, Will looked Mortmain straight in the eye and went completely limp. The two automatons weren't expecting it and almost dropped him. Mortmain growled and grabbed Will's arm, forcefully pulling him up from his position inches above the floor.

"I thought we already discussed this," Mortmain whispered. "I do not have time for this. I truly hope you enjoy the consequences."

With that, he let go of Will and the automatons proceeded to drag him to the room. He tried to get away with every bit of strength he had, but they were too strong. Within seconds, he was strapped to the table, the leather digging painfully into his already bruised wrists. Mortmain was standing in front of the other table, facing away from Will. He couldn't see what Mortmain was doing, but he knew he wouldn't like it.

Mortmain turned towards him with a sinister smile. He was holding a cup in one hand and an empty syringe in the other. Will knew immediately what the cup was holding, and he clamped his jaw shut before Mortmain could force him to drink it.

"I told you there would be consequences," he said. "This is what happens when you anger me." He reached forward and grabbed Will's jaw, forcing his mouth open with his thumb and index finger. "I think you'll enjoy this," he laughed, then poured the contents of the cup down Will's throat.

It felt like he'd just drank acid. His entire throat was burning. He screamed and the pain increased tenfold. He pulled against the restraints and gritted his teeth together while Mortmain watched him with a look of content. He'd never been in so much pain before in his life. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe, he could barely even see. His world was pain.

Mortmain leaned down close to Will and whispered, "I would advise you not to act like that again, unless you want me to force you to drink demon blood again. Understand?" Will nodded, gritting his teeth against the pain, although he didn't mean it. "Good. I think we're done for today, then."

The automatons moved forward and unbuckled the straps. They were practically carrying Will the entire way, since his legs didn't seem to work anymore. They dropped him on the ground in his cell and locked the door.

Will stayed in that spot, trying not to lose whatever he'd eaten in the past twenty four hours. Finally, he slowly pulled himself over to the corner and sat leaning against the wall, feeling every breath ignite a new wave of pain in his throat. All of a sudden, he started feeling an odd tickle at the back of his throat. It made him want to cough, but he knew it would cause agony, so he held it back, until he couldn't anymore.

Each cough was more painful than the next. He put his hand over his mouth the entire time, just waiting for the coughing fit to stop. When it finally did, he moved his hand away and found it covered in bright red blood.

He was dying. He was going to die, alone in this cell. Mortmain would see him in the morning and leave him there for the rats to eat, if they even ventured into this dark slice of hell. He couldn't say goodbye. He could write a note to them, if he had paper, but the chances of Mortmain actually delivering it were slim.

He let out a half sob, half moan and fell onto his side on the hard floor. There was a burning pain in his stomach and he knew it was caused by the demon blood. He was most likely bleeding internally. The walls of this cell were not going to be the last thing he ever saw, so he closed his eyes and thought of the Institute.

"Will."

He knew that voice. Will opened his eyes to find Jem kneeling on the ground in front of him, looking worried. The door was still closed, so he must have gotten in without Will hearing and then closed the door.

"What did he do to you?" Jem muttered, looking at the glistening blood on Will's hand and dripping down his chin. "Has he been injecting you with demon blood?"

Will nodded and looked up at Jem. Jem had come to save him, but he was too late. Will was going to die, very soon.

"Let me see," Jem said, pulling Will's mouth open. After a second he let go and said, "Did he make you drink it?" Will nodded again. "This is… Yanluo never did this to me. Mortmain is going to pay for this."

Jem started to stand, but Will grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down. He didn't want to be alone when the end came.

"Alright," Jem said, sitting back down. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. You, on the other hand, need to sleep. There was a song that my mother used to sing to me when I was young. Every time I couldn't sleep, she'd sit on my bed and sing it, and I'd be asleep within minutes. It's been years since I heard it, but I still remember it perfectly. Do you want me to sing it for you?"

Will nodded, letting go of Jem's wrist. Normally, he would have refused, but these were special circumstances.

"Well, then. Don't laugh at me. I play the violin, I don't sing. You might never want to hear me sing again after this." He took a deep breath and started. "Mǒu chù, zài cǎihóng zhī shàng, yǒu gè hěn gāo

hái yǒu, wǒ zài yáolánqǔ zhòng tīng dào de yīcì tǔdì

mǒu chù, zài cǎihóng, tiānkōng shì lán sè de

nǐ gǎn zhēn de mèng mèngxiǎng chéng zhēn

yǒu yītiān wǒ huì xiàng xīngxīng xǔyuàn

xǐng lái nàlǐ de yún yuǎn zài wǒ shēnhòu

zài nàlǐ, fánnǎo rónghuà chéng yīdī dī níngméng zhī

yuǎn de yāncōng zhī shàng

zhè jiùshì nǐ huì zhǎodào wǒ

cǎihóng zhī shàng, qīngniǎo yōurán fēixiáng

niǎo er fēiguò cǎihóng

nàme, wǒ wèishéme bùnéng?

Rúguǒ kuàilè de xiǎo qīngniǎo er fēixiáng

chāoyuè cǎihóng

wèishéme, wèishéme, wǒ bùnéng?"

Just as Jem finished, Will felt his eyes slip closed, and he knew this was it. He wished he could have seen Tessa and Cecily one more time before he died, but Jem was enough. He felt Jem slip his hand into Will's, and he knew it was Jem's way of saying that it was time.

So he let go.

* * *

Will woke up hours later. He wasn't dead, that much was obvious, but his stomach still hurt and his throat was burning. Jem hadn't been there. He'd just been a hallucination that Will's pain-addled mind made up, but he couldn't figure out the song. He only knew a couple of short phrases in Mandarin, and twice as many curse words, but not nearly enough to make up an entire song, until he realized that he'd heard Jem singing it a couple weeks after he came to the Institute.

Speaking of Jem, he had something he needed to try. Will sat up and steeled himself for what he knew was about to follow, then opened his mouth and said Jem's name.

Instead of "Jem," he heard a harsh rasp and started coughing again. Both the talking and the coughing multiplied the pain in his throat and he was left breathing hard with one hand pressed to his neck. The other hand had fresh flecks of blood on it.

If he couldn't speak, Mortmain couldn't get answers. This was good. Mortmain would give up and send him home. Either that, or just kill him right there. Either way, he was useless.

That wasn't the case. Hours later, Mortmain put a pencil in his hand and a piece of paper under it. Will drew an X on the paper and pressed the pencil down so hard that the tip broke. Mortmain injected him with demon blood three times and then sent him off.

Later, Will tried eating and drinking. Each sip of water felt like acid, and every bite of bread, no matter how small, caused burning waves of pain that lasted for minutes. When he'd eaten as much as he could, he fell asleep.

That lasted for at least three hours, until he was woken by intense nausea. He kept it down for a while, but it finally became too much and he barely made it to the bucket Mortmain had so courteously placed in the corner in time. Once there was nothing left to throw up and the nausea receded enough, Will looked into the bucket to see that it was mainly blood. At least he knew he wasn't going to die this time.

LINE BREAK HERE

Will couldn't speak for a week. Even then, his voice was still extremely hoarse and it was somewhat painful, although he hadn't coughed or thrown up blood for days.

He hadn't seen the sun in a month. One entire month spent in almost complete darkness was enough to drive a man insane, but Will had other things on his mind. For example, the burning pain across his entire body that only got worse, never better, or the overabundance of needle marks on the insides of his elbows. He hadn't slept in three days. He threw up everything he ate and drank within minutes. He was exhausted, in pain, and was ready to die.

Will heard the all too familiar sound of the door being unlocked and pulled his knees up to his chest. That sound had come to be associated with pain and fear, but he hadn't broken yet. He wouldn't give Mortmain what he wanted without a fight.

The door opened to reveal Mortmain and a man he didn't recognize. The man had shining blue scales on his arms and pale green hair. A warlock, then. Mortmain had mentioned that he'd hired one on the first day, maybe it was this one.

The warlock moved away from Mortmain and knelt down in front of Will. "Well, this is a first," he said. "I've never seen a Shadowhunter like this before. What did you do?"

"Demon blood as a persuasive tactic. It's his own fault. He won't give me answers."

"Demon blood?" The warlock reached forward and gently pulled Will's arm towards him, exposing the needle-marked skin and the blackened veins. "A couple of times would be alright, but this many? You could have killed him. He probably isn't eating or sleeping. He's in too much pain for that."

"Well," Mortmain said, "you can fix that, can't you? I can't have him like this. He won't be useful at all."

"I'll see what I can do. If he dies, though, it's on you," he said, putting his hand on Will's head. "Don't worry, you won't feel a thing."

**CLIFFIE! By the Angel, I love those. Anyway, part two is coming soon I hope. If it takes more than two weeks, start pestering. Also, I hope you all enjoyed my April Fool's Day prank!**

**Please tell me if there is anything, and I mean ANYTHING (not including mpreg, sex (non-con or con) or anything like that please and thank you), that you want to see happen!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Amazing things are happening today, mes amies. First of all, my laptop is on my desk for the first time in weeks. Second, I'm actually writing. Something crazy is going on here.**

**I'm going to be deleting all of the author's notes today. They were annoying me and making it hard to figure out how many chapters there were. So, they're being deleted, including my little April Fool's joke. I'm evil, aren't I?**

**Thanks for all the suggestions! Sorry if I don't use yours, but you may see it later in the story! And now, on with the chapter.**

"This is useless," Gabriel muttered, slamming his book closed. "He'll probably die anyway. There's no point in trying to look."

He'd just taken a sip of his now cold tea when he stopped and grabbed the book again. Opening it to the page he had been on, he read the paragraph and sighed.

"Time to go to the Institute."

* * *

Jem and Tessa were sitting in the library for the third day in a row, reading every book they could find on demon blood. Tessa was hopeful, but Jem seemed to be getting frustrated. He was slamming books closed, throwing them into a pile of the ground, and didn't even pet Church, who sat meowing in his lap for ten minutes.

Finally, Jem threw the book in his lap on the ground with the others and leaned back in his chair. "We're getting nowhere. He just keeps getting worse and we're no closer to finding a cure than we were three days ago."

"We'll find something, Jem," Tessa said. "Don't worry."

"I always worry," Jem said. "Every time he goes out alone. Every time he disappears for days."

"I understand how you feel. When Nate would-"

"No!" Jem cut Tessa off before she could finish. "You don't understand how I feel! You can't even begin to understand. This is nothing like anything you've ever experienced. He is _dying_. You will never understand."

Tessa looked on in shock as Jem almost ran out of the library, slamming the door behind him. This was even more unusual than when Jem broke Gabriel's nose. The worry and stress of possibly losing his best friend was getting to him and he was handling it in a very bad way.

Tessa closed the book she had been reading and put it on the table next to her. If they could find a cure before Will's month was up, he would be much happier, but it wasn't looking good. So far, there was no cure in sight.

* * *

"I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat, Will. Charlotte sent me up here to make sure you ate and I'm not leaving until you do."

"I said I wasn't hungry, Cecily. So you can go tell Charlotte to eat it herself if she really wants it eaten."

Cecily glared at her brother and held out the fork. "Eat."

"No."

"We will sit here for as long as we need to."

"I have all month."

Cecily put the fork next to the plate and sighed in defeat. Will kept refusing to eat everything, including chocolate. She knew he was in pain, but he still had to eat.

"Fine," she said. "Go hungry. I don't care. But when Charlotte comes up here and yells at you, it won't be my fault."

Will watched her go, then leaned back on his pillows. He'd somehow kept a straight face while Cecily was there, but today was a bad day. Even looking at the food made him nauseous, and he was glad she'd taken it with her. He didn't care if Charlotte got mad at him. He'd rather not throw up everywhere.

He'd just closed his eyes when Charlotte barged in. "What did Cecily mean when she said you wouldn't eat?"

"I'm not hungry," Will repeated for the third time that day. "I told her that."

"You can't just stop eating. You have to be at least a little hungry."

"I'm not."

"Will…"

"Fine!" Will said, scowling at her. "I can't eat."

Charlotte immediately shifted from nurse to mother. "Why not?"

"Because it won't stay down. Not for long, anyway."

"You should have said something! I can make a tisane instead-"

Will shook his head. "I'll eat tomorrow, I promise. I just can't right now."

"Alright," Charlotte said, nodding. "I'll be just downstairs if you need anything."

"Thank you," Will said. "And can you make sure Jem is taking care of himself?"

"Of course," Charlotte said, then closed the door behind her.

* * *

Charlotte sat behind her desk in the study, thinking about Will. The longer it took them to find a cure, the worse he would get, and then the day would come when it would be too late. They needed to find something before that happened, but based on what Jem and Tessa had told her the day before, there was nothing so far.

There was a knock on the door and Charlotte said, "Come in."

It opened to reveal Sophie with Gabriel Lightwood standing behind her. "Mr. Lightwood is here to see you, miss. He says it's urgent."

"Thank you Sophie," Charlotte said. Sophie curtsied and left the room. "Sit down, Gabriel. What did you want to see me about?"

"I got your letter about looking for a cure and I did some research. I found this today. You mix these ingredients together and make him drink it, and it should help."

Charlotte took the book from him and read the page. "Meadowsweet, salt- oh. I'm sorry, but this won't work."

"Why not?"

"The blood of a stultus demon. They've been extinct for centuries. Other than that, we have everything. Thank you for looking, though. I'm surprised. I know you and Will aren't the best of friends."

"I wasn't going to at first, but something told me I should. Should I keep looking?"

"Yes, please," Charlotte said, standing up. "That would be wonderful. I'll show you out."

**Well, that only took three days… I'm a terrible person because I read Fanfiction and watch Netflix when I'm supposed to be writing. Anyway, part two will be coming very soon! Within the week, I hope.**

**Give me ideas! This is going to be mostly filler for the next couple of chapters so I need ideas!**


	17. AN

You're probably all thinking this is an update. And now you're probably all mad that it actually isn't. So, here's my excuse for going radio silent.

I just spent five weeks in France. I only had my phone with me and I couldn't work on what I know is everyone's favorite story. (It was awesome, BTW. I'd totally recommend going to France.) When I got back, I had one week until school started and I had to go to golf practice (which I have a very funny story about. If anyone wants to hear it, PM me.) three days in a row. Now, I'm a high school senior who has been graciously granted the task of daily golf practice, almost weekly football games, and peer ministry while trying not to fail my classes.

So, long story short, there won't any updates for a while.

Don't worry, though. I'm not abandoning this story and I have a chapter in the works right now. Just bear with this slightly stressed and somewhat sleep deprived little girl for a little while longer. There will be an update coming soon, just not any day in the next... two months? But, to make up for my absence, I have a very special surprise for you all that will make you think "Animalkid99 say what?"

One more thing: I would love it if everyone told me their favorite quote from G Cubed to cheer me up a bit.

See you all soon and thank you for your patience!


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